Hakuouki Bound To You By Gratitude
by frosty600
Summary: "Y-you and Kazama-san… you like Kazama!" Chiruzu gasped shocked. "Surprised, eh?" Katsuki said with a wryly smile, before she shrugged, "It's hard not to love the man that saved your life," A half-devil in love with a man who'd never look past her dirty blood and a best friend who wouldn't mind if she looked his way, but knew that she wouldn't… Kazama/OC, slight Shuranui/OC
1. Chapter 0

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hakuouki or any of the characters mentioned in the game or the anime. I do own Katsuki.

 **A/N:** Yes I know another fic, bad, bad writer but the plot bunnies refuse to leave me alone. I got the idea for this fic after reading the fic Hakuouki: Hitsuzen by weezerz2490. Which is a great fic. If you haven't read it and enjoy Kazama/OC fics I highly suggest it. Weezerz2490 has graciously given me permission to use the idea of half devil's in this fic for my OC.

 **PRELUDE**

March 1862

Blood… it was all she could smell, making her feel nauseous. The fact that it was the blood of her parents made it worse!

She could feel the cooling liquid splattered over her kimono and the bare skin of her arms and legs. Her slender hand was wrapped around the hilt of her father's katana clasped tightly between both hands.

The small amount of shuriken she'd had on her had been expensed soon after the battle had begun. Instantiated by enemy ninja of a rival family.

Tears burned unshed behind her eyes. Her brow was furrowed deeply as she dodged the projectile weapons that had been lobbed at her.

She had no delusions that she would manage to survive the deaths of her adoptive parents. Half-devil she may be, but she was young, barely on the cusp of womanhood and she was tiring… tiring far too quickly for her liking.

She would be damned if she didn't take at least some of them with her in vengeance for the human man and woman that had shown enough kindness to an abandoned child to adopt her into their family and treat her as if she was of their own blood and not a mixed dirty mongrel outcast by her own mother in disgust and unwanted by her father who wanted to forget that he'd ever had a moment of weakness… especially one that resulted in a mongrel child… a dirty child…

She dodged again with all the fluid grace her ninja parents had instilled in her from the moment they had deemed her healthy enough to start training in the arts.

She'd taken to their training like a duck to water, but she wasn't considered a master by any means… still… she used her momentum to launch forward with a quick swing of the katana, feeling a sense of deep satisfaction as the sharp blade cleaved deeply into flesh. A masculine shout of pain rending the air in response.

She didn't get a chance to revel for too long as she was forced to dodge a volley of senbon.

Katsuki winced as one of them sliced through the cloth of her ninja kimono and through the flesh of her left arm.

She wasn't going to last much longer… not with these odds… there were too many of them… blood was getting in her eyes from a cut on her forehead, obscuring her vision , but it didn't stop her from swinging again, the blade once again meeting flesh, this time forcing one of her attackers to their knees.

She didn't hesitate in administering a killing blow, before she had to dodge again. A cry escaped her as she landed wrong, her ankle rolling on the landing, throwing off her rhythm and losing precious seconds… seconds that would mean that her life was forfeit… there was no way that the ninja would not take the offered opportunity to put her down…

She expected to feel the slice of sharp steel through her flesh, but it didn't happen instead a masculine cry of pain rent the air, a cry that was cut off a second later followed by the sound of a body crumpling to the ground.

"You think you can run away?" An unknown male voice had Katsuki turning to see a tall man in a fine kimono that had a fine splattering of blood from the ninja he'd killed. His red eyes glinting furiously in the late afternoon light as he faced the surprised ninja, none of them having expected another to enter the fray.

Katsuki slid to the ground a hand at her throbbing ankle as the blond man with the strange red eyes moved swiftly after her attackers. Cutting them down with an ease no human would be able to manage… it was obvious that a full devil had come to her aid… as unlikely as that was to happen… the evidence was right in front of her.

The battle that she'd been having such trouble keeping up with was over in a matter of moments leaving the full devil standing in the midst of the dead.

She watched with baited breath as the devil flicked his sword clean of blood, before sheathing it in a smooth motion, before he turned his attention to her downed form.

"What would a half devil woman be doing in the midst of such foolish human affairs?" the devil asked her as he regarded her coolly. His eyes taking in the wounds that were knitting themselves closed at a faster rate than was physically possible for a human, but a great deal slower than a devils.

Katsuki lowered her gaze to the still forms of her parents, wishing vehemently that they were still standing, still smiling at her… loving her in a way her biological parents hadn't…

"They were my family," she answered quietly as she tore her gaze from her parents to the large, somewhat imposing form of her saviour as he continued to regard her, with a scrutiny that she couldn't quite place, "Why'd you help me?"

The man shrugged, "Female devils are precious, even a mongrel like you shouldn't be left to be killed by the squabbles of man," he said with obvious distaste.

Katsuki winced at the harsh, but accurate term. It was one she'd heard often, and had come to hate over the years. She pulled herself to her feet and managed to manipulate her aching body into a clumsy bow of gratitude and respect, "I am Katsuki, for saving my life and avenging my family my blade is yours - such as it is," she recited from memory. No matter her feelings - the devil before her had saved her life and wrought vengeance on those who'd taken her family, she owed him a life debt, one that honour dictated she see through.

The devil made a short huffing sound that she was sure was a snort of laughter of some kind, "Well, you have honour for a mongrel that is something I suppose," he gave her an assessing once over, "Though why you think I'd need your blade is questionable,"

Katsuki shot him a disgruntled look, her pride smarting and her pain of her loss still razor sharp, making her usual calm brittle, "My blade, my life - it is now yours to make use of as you see fit," she gritted out from between clenched teeth.

She was sore, tired and felt like she was drifting between the need to cry and being completely numb to it all - and the fact that she was now bound to serve a devil who looked down on her just like all the others for the circumstances of her birth smarted at her pride… but at the same time the devil had chosen to save her when she'd stumbled instead of leaving her to her fate, even though she was nothing more than a mongrel in the eyes of devil's… a tarnishing abomination that should never have been born…

The red eyed devil was still staring at her as if trying to weigh up a decision, probably trying to decide if there was an honourable way to turn her and the life debt she now owed him away.

"Oi! Oi!" A new male voice shouted with impatience, "Kazama, what's taking you? We've got places to be you know," Katsuki turned her gaze to the new comer to see another man with deep purple hair and eyes and darker skin than that of the now named Kazama newer styled weaponry holstered at either side of his body approaching them with a confident swagger.

Kazama resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation as he shot an annoyed look at his impatient companion, "Picking up strays apparently," he grumbled before he turned and started on his way, as annoying as Shuranui was, he had a point. He did have places to be and he had no more time to linger today.

Shuranui glanced at the bloodied slender, lilac eyed and lavender haired waif that was dressed in a form of garb he recognised as worn by a ninja with interest, "Where'd you manage to find a hanoni?" he called after Kazama as he started following, the woman falling into step with him as she dropped a rag that she'd used to wipe the katana she was carrying clean before sheathing it.

Katsuki ignored the conversation being carried out by Kazama and the devil she'd yet to learn the name of as she said a silent farewell to her adoptive parents as she was forced to leave them out in the open without any form of burial as she very much doubted that the devil would wait for her to do so.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Hakuoki or any of the characters mentioned in the cannon.

 **A/N:** Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, faved and alerted this fic. On a suggestion from one of my reviewers I have changed 'Devils' to 'Demons'.

I hope that you enjoy this chapter all feedback especially constructive criticism is welcome.

 **CHAPTER 1**

June 1862

Katsuki looked up as Kazama finally left the building that he had been sequestered away in since mid-morning.

She bit her lip in an outward display of concern for the young Lord as she caught a glimpse of the open irritation on his face, before he stalked from her line of sight.

He hadn't even bothered to spare a moment to acknowledge her presence as he usually did.

She heard a familiar chuckle before a board hand landed with a familiarity on her slender shoulder, "Don't mine him Katsuki-chan. Those old-bats have just been harping at him again," Shiranui informed her with obvious amusement at the higher ranking blond red eyed demon's expense.

The two had a strange, if better explained as strained friendship that's dynamic seemed to shift seamlessly from friendly rivalry to wanting to kill each other… there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it either… or at least there wasn't one that Katsuki could make out in just the couple of months since she'd join the Western demons that had found shelter in the Satsuma domain.

"I see," she murmured, a sympathetic note entering her voice as she continued to stare after her saviour.

Shiranui rolled his eyes, before he effortlessly used the hand he still had clasped on her shoulder to steer the tiny hanoni in the opposite direction Kazama had taken.

In his opinion the arrogant bastard of a Lordling took up far too much of the lavender haired woman's thoughts.

"Come on baby ninja-chan. Let's see if you can out manoeuvre my pistols today," he stated, a taunting edge to his voice.

Katsuki frowned over at the taller man, "That's hardly fair Kyo-kun," she muttered, "Ninja's aren't equipped for direct assaults - we're sneaky dagger in the dark types - not samurai with a sword in your face," she reminded him once again whilst shrugging his hand off her shoulder. However, she continued walking towards the outside training grounds that Shiranui favoured.

Training with Shiranui was never boring, and he seemed to take delight in the time they spent there together…which was always a nice change to the disapproval most of the full demons would direct at her…

"A real battle isn't fair," Shiranui replied with a cocky smirk, "I'm just doing my part to ensure that my favourite hanoni survives her next battle,"

Katsuki rolled her eyes, "I'm the only hanoni you know,"

Shiranui shrugged, "All the more reason why you're my favourite," he laughed outright at the mock heated glare she shot him.

Katsuki glanced away from him, taking in the beautiful, well-kept courtyard they were crossing, "Do you really think that there is going to be another battle soon?" she enquired softly.

Shiranui shrugged glancing away from her himself as he rubbed a hand over the back of his head, avoiding the ponytail he had his long hair tied back in, "Can't really say for sure, but humans do have a thing for killing each other and dragging demons into their messy affairs,"

"So, a definite maybe," Katsuki summarized thoughtfully.

Shiranui nodded his agreement, before his cocky smirk was back in place, "But enough of that. You'd better prepare yourself - I'm not going to go easy on you,"

"Do you ever?" Katsuki responded with an arched brow, before she leapt away from him, deliberately kicking up dirt to impede his vision for a moment so that she could take advantage of the shadowy areas of the terrain of the grounds.

Just because he had the advantage of more advanced weaponry didn't mean that she was going to let that stop her from putting all that she had learnt of the ninja arts to use - she was even used to the abrupt ear splitting sounds of the projectiles known as bullets as they erupted from the barrel of the pistol now.

Something that in turns seemed to annoy and please the taciturn demon…

 ***O*O*O***

Hours later a sweaty, bruised and battered Katsuki stood over a well as she dipped a cloth in a bucket of water she'd hauled up.

A soft happy sigh escaped her as she used the wet cloth to clean the sweat and grim from her face and neck, as well as cool her heated flesh after training with Shiranui.

Something that never failed to leave her exhausted and pleased with herself. She really was improving. She'd even managed to disarm him of his pistol's today before she lost simply to his superior strength and stamina… but still she was proud and she liked to think that her adoptive parents would be proud of her progress to…

She heard the sound of booted feet moving softly over the grass and she lowered the cloth into the bucket again, "You know Kyo-kun, it isn't really possible to sneak up on a ninja… even a baby one," she tact on with a small grimace, she really disliked it when he called her that.

Shiranui whistled lowly as he came abreast of her, before he sat himself down on the stone rim of the well unconcerned that he was close enough that his long leg was practically brushing against hers… personal space had never really been something he was all that aware of in Katsuki's experience… it was something she had learned to ignore… and could practically say that she was used it now.

"Someone's been practicing her observational skills," he said. The words should have been a compliment, except for the teasing and mocking inflections in his voice.

Katsuki merely rolled her eyes once again as she squeezed excess water from the cloth before she patted it over the skin of her neck, "What do you want?" she queried partly to hurry him along and partly out of curiosity.

Shiranui cast her a slightly irritated look at being hurried before he was once again smirking at her, his natural self-assured confidence lighting his face to the point of making his expression arrogant.

Katsuki narrowed her lilac gaze on him and a frown darkened her brow, "What did you do?" she demanded to know as she rested a hand on her hip.

Shiranui reached out and grasped the end of her long thick braid between his long fingers and gave it a playful tug, "Don't look at me like that," he chided, "I haven't done anything worthy of a scolding,"

Katsuki pulled her braid free of his fingers as she cocked a brow at him, her expression lightening, "Then, why do you look like the cat that caught the canary and made it into a tasty snack?"

Shiranui's smirk widened at the hanoni, enjoying the look of curiosity and wariness in her lilac eyes, "It may or may not have something to do with a certain demon I found hidden away in one of the lesser clans that are lingering in Satsuma,"

Katsuki frowned, her curiosity giving way to annoyance. She didn't need him to expand on his explanation any further to understand just what or rather who he was referring to, "You know, I distinctly remember saying that I didn't want you poking around about my demon relations," she muttered her gaze narrowing in an unhappy glare.

"Yeah," he agreed unrepentantly, "I just so happened to ignore you,"

Katsuki dropped the cloth by the well and bucket, no longer interested in cleaning herself up. A slight tremor in her hands the only real outward indication that she wasn't as calm as she was trying to appear.

Shiranui pouted slightly at the lack of reaction from the small hanoni. He'd been hoping for at least some curiosity from her about it, "Well, do you not want to kn…"

"No," Katsuki cut him off with a sniff, "I don't care to know anything about him. I'm quite happy just being Katsuki. I don't need his family name," she stated firmly, her scowl becoming more prominent.

"Bu,"

"If I were to take a family name," Katsuki cut him off again, "I'd want it to be the one that belonged to my adoptive parents, but seeing as their clan elders denied me that…" she trailed off and shrugged, "I don't need one," she levelled steely lilac eyes on Shiranui once again, "And I'll thank you to stay out of it from now on. The last thing I want is for that man to think that I want anything to do with him," she said with a sneer curling down her lips.

Shiranui held up his hands in mock surrender, "Alright, alright. However I doubt that was the impression I gave him," he said, his put upon apologetic expression shifting smoothly back to one of cocky self-assurance.

Katsuki's brow rose inquisitively once again, only to shake her head dismissively… if she was being honest with herself she was curious now… but that was what he wanted… and she didn't want to encourage him.

If she did it would be giving him the go ahead to continue sticking his nose where she didn't want it…

Not that she was having any luck with that to be honest… the pistol wielding ass seemed to take an annoying delight in messing with her.

 ***O*O*O***

Katsuki knocked carefully at the door she was standing in front of her teeth abusing her lower lip as she wondered if she'd be ignored by the occupant within…

The cultured masculine voice that bid her enter had her smiling to herself softly in relief before she smoothed it off her face as she reached out to slide open the door.

Her gaze landed immediately on Kazama's figure as he sat splayed out casually by the window a wooden pipe in hand.

Katsuki huffed to herself and her nose wrinkled, the scent of the tobacco the demon lord favoured always tickled her nose unpleasantly, but she didn't mention it… at least not anymore… she'd learnt not to bother, he didn't listen and he tended to lean towards smoking more when she did make her irritation at it known.

She closed the sliding door behind her softly, before turning to face him again. Her expression carefully neutral as she moved towards the bottles of sake.

With hands that had grown experienced at preparing sake since she'd joined the Western demons she set a couple bottles aside to warm, before she knelt down a respectful distance across from him.

The silence was thick, but not uncomfortable for Katsuki. She'd gotten used to the blond lordlings moody temperament after he'd been dealing with his clan elders.

When the sake was ready Katsuki moved to fetch the bottles, whilst Kazama emptied his pipe and refilled it with the finely shredded tobacco.

It wasn't until she'd settled back into her spot and poured a small amount of the sake into a cup for him that the blond demon broke his silence.

"You'd think that I wasn't in my prime the way they nag at me," he muttered as he accepted the cup she offered.

Katsuki's lips twitched, the traitorous muscles wanting to smile in amusement at his plight and the ringing that was no doubt left in his ears after the elders had finished with him that morning.

The unimpressed look he shot her, told her that she hadn't quiet succeeded in keeping the amusement off her face. She coughed quietly into a fisted hand as she attempted to school her features back under control, before she poured him another cup, "It is there job to worry about the future of the clan," she said after a beat when she was sure that her voice would be neutral.

"They are sticking their nose in where it doesn't belong," Kazama glared at the liquid in his sake cup, his lips thinning out into a sneer, "The way they talk. You'd think female demons were abundant," he flicked his red gaze to the girl sitting across from him, "You should be wary. Being a hanoni won't spare you from their scheming,"

Katsuki winced before she could stop herself, "They have no authority over me," she muttered a scowl darkening her brow, "I owe you a life-debt not them,"

Kazama's lips twisted upwards in a smirk, "Don't think that'll protect you for long. If they annoy me enough, well… better you than me as they say," he taunted.

Katsuki glared at him openly for a moment before she relaxed again and smiled a little coldly at him, "It'll be a cold day in hell before I allow myself to be manoeuvred by a bunch of old men,"

Kazama's lips twisted in to a smile that was a mix between amused and distain, "Say that again when they're squawking at you,"

Katsuki raised her finely shaped brows at him, "You cracked?" she murmured, desperately trying to mask the darker emotions the idea inspired in her with her genuine shock that he may have actually given in.

Kazama was silent for a long moment as he stared out the open window, staring out over the terrain, "Not this time," he muttered, "If I'm to marry it'll be a woman who can produce a heir worthy of my name," he stated, before holding out the sake cup for another refill.

Quietly Katsuki obeyed the silent demand. Her expression determinedly schooled into a neutral mask even as her heart gave a painful squeeze and jealousy simmered inside her. Jealousy aimed at an unknown woman that would one day stand at Kazama's side… something she'd never be able to do.

Katsuki gritted her teeth against the feeling. It was stupid to feel so… she owed Kazama a debt that went far beyond gratitude. Feelings of any other kind where troublesome and entirely unhelpful.

Unfortunately, the squeezing in her heart seemed to wilfully ignore reason as it continued to squeeze painfully in her chest.

She turned her mind from it with a determination born out of stubbornness. If she couldn't not feel the inconvenient ach she could at least pretend that it didn't exist… and she was determined enough to do just that.

 ***O*O*O***

Amagiri bit back a sigh as he slid the sliding door closed behind him. He cracked his neck tiredly, an ache throbbing at his temples.

It had been a long time in coming, but Satsuma was finally on the move… and had called upon them to fulfil the debt the Western Clan owed.

He didn't like it. It was unnecessary, not that they would see it that way - but the task of informing his fellows was equally as distasteful to him… neither would take it well.

Amagiri allowed himself a sigh as he stepped out into the fresh late afternoon air - to be forced into another petty human war. It was not a thought he relished. However it could be worse, as it sat they weren't to get involved to directly in the fighting.

Satsuma, for now at least, wanted to be able to at least claim that any victory had come from their own strength… how long that lasted however was yet to be seen…


End file.
